Frago Family

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T16:59:00.000-08:00

Noah finally walks (runs)! It took him 15 months, but once he started... That boy gets into everything!

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Happy October!

2010-10-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

Noah is an energetic one year old now. He never slows down! We can't look away from him for more than five seconds or he is half way up climbing onto something. He has figured out how to push objects over and use them as stepping stools.

Noah isn't completely walking, but he is trying. He takes a few wobbly steps and then plops down on his tush. We are pretty sure his first intentional word is "Hi!" because he says it when he waves.

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August 2010

2010-08-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

Noah is almost a year old! Where did the time go? A few months ago a friend told me to enjoy taking the pictures because there was going to be a point when Noah would be moving so much that I wouldn't be able to get anything worth looking at. I think we have reached that point. Noah never stops moving! He is a goofy little man. He loves climbing and walking with help. He gets so excited when he walks that he starts running and tripping over his feet. Noah enjoys listening to music and sings and dances along to reggae.

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July 2010

2010-08-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Happy August! We have seen huge leaps this past month. Overnight, Noah decided he could sit up and then pull himself up. He pulls himself up to standing every chance he gets. We have seen some crazy falls over the past two weeks, but yesterday was by far the scariest (for me) when he figured he could walk without holding onto anything! He almost has a black eye (see the last picture); I cried and he just laughed! Summer has been a great time with Noah. I am so sad to see the end of it coming so fast.

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June 2010

2010-06-30T22:57:00.001-07:00

It feels like I just sent you the May album! Time is flying faster than I ever thought possible.

Noah is 24 pounds and 29 inches long. He is a wiggle worm and loves to crawl into the most random places. Noah talks up a storm and loves to talk over speaker phone. He is such a social guy! When we take him grocery shopping he calls out to people and if they do not respond he cranes his neck toward them and calls out louder!

We can not wait to see what new developments July brings!
Have a wonderful July and Happy 4th of July!

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May Album

2010-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Happy June!

Noah has gained more height to balance his weight. We find out his new measurements at the end of June. Noah is a little chatter box and loves to flail his hands for emphasis. His highchair is his soapbox and he spends half his dinner lecturing us about something. His ranting at the dogs when they get rowdy is hysterical!

Noah has just started to pick up on the whole knee thing with crawling. However, his lack of "proper" crawling has not stopped him from traversing his entire room to get to the bath basket when we turn around for two seconds.I am so excited for summer! I have two more weeks left of school and then two and half months of non-stop Noah.

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April 2010

2010-05-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

Noah has started to gain height to balance out all his girth! I was getting a little worried that we were raising a puffball. He now has four teeth. I never thought I would be the kind of person to miss a toothless smile, but I do...he is growing too fast!

Noah is so active. I have to take a ton of pictures just to make sure at least one of them isn't blurry. The last video in this album shows Noah in his roundabout table. It has all kinds of toys and noisemakers for him to play with, but his favorite thing to do is run around in circles. It is hysterical!

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2010-03-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

Noah is 22.2 lbs! He looks it and definitely feels like it!

March was a lot of fun! Noah continues to find new ways to make us laugh. His two bottom teeth are in and the faces he makes when his mouth is sore are hysterical. We had two really bad days, but even at his worst, Noah finds things to smile and laugh at.

Noah first eating experience was on his sixth month birthday. I am pretty sure the dogs are going to be Noah's best friends now that they have figured out that food falls where Noah sits.

I am so looking forward to Spring Break. One whole uninterrupted week of Noah. *Sigh* Can life get any better?

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Time

2010-03-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity."

~Albert Einstein~

When I was thinking about what to post, all I could think about is how bad I have been about updating. Sure, I have been posting Noah's monthly albums, but is that really the point of a blog? My only excuse is I have had no time. And then I started thinking about where my time has gone and I laughed because Einstein's quote about relativity popped into my head...nerd! It's kind of a stretch, but I am making it...it's my blog!

I could have been posting over the last five months, but even one minute of being in front of the computer when I don't have to be feels like an hour away from Noah. And on the other side, I will sit down to play with Noah for what I think is just a few minutes and look at the clock and realize two hours have gone by.

I am so loving this adventure! A year ago I couldn't imagine what life would be like with a child and now I can't imagine what life would be like without Noah. How in the world did I ever start a day without one of his smiles?

So much has gone on that I don't even know where to begin. At six months, Noah rolls over and army crawls everywhere. His first two teeth are coming in. And he is prone to laughing fits when daddy plays with him. Noah had his first "meal" on his sixth month birthday and of course he had absolutely no problem wolfing down his food.

Going back to work in January was both really hard and really great. I was surprised how hard it was to leave Noah. I actually cried the night before. However, Chris is amazing with Noah and incredibly supportive of me. When it works with schedules, Chris brings Noah at lunch and we eat together as a family. I actually get more done at home now then I ever did when I was home all the time! I definitely missed working with the students. I have only had two days where I have thought I was crazy to go back to my position. For the most part, my students are energizing and make me look forward to knowing Noah in his middle school years.

February 2010

2010-02-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

Is February really over???? Noah is rolling and inch worm crawling all over the place! He made it half way across my classroom in less than a minute (Ewww!...he got a full diaper wipe bath right after!). His smiles melt us and we get absolutely nothing done because all we want to do is love him.

Coming up in March is his first taste of real food! I can't believe how fast Life is moving along!

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January 2010

2010-02-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

January was great for us! We had visitors almost every weekend and Noah just loved showing off his beautiful smile. We had back to back rain (our little creek became a rapid a few times!). We had lots of opprtunities to cuddle inside. I started back at work this month so Chris has taken on day time daddy duty and he is doing an amazing job! How lucky is Noah?!?!
Noah has now doubled his weight from birth (18 pounds) and is 26 inches long (that puts him in the 95th or so percentile for both weight and height). He is a BIG boy!
We are just loving our time with Noah. His "good morning" smiles are the best! We could spend hours just watching him taken in the world around him. Sometimes I wish I could see things thrugh his eyes.

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December 2009

2010-01-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

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Noah's First Christmas

2009-12-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

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Merry Christmas!

2009-12-20T22:42:00.001-08:00

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Noah's November 2009

2009-12-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

November was a month of incredible growth for Noah (in size and personality). He is four pounds heavier and an inch longer! Noah is getting stronger and even "stands up" with a little support from us. Right at the beginning of the month he started "talking." He gets his arms and legs flying all over and then belts out some great sounds. The best part of this month for us has been the smiles. Noah actually responds to us with smiles and even laughter (apparently we amuse him).

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Noah's First Halloween Album

2009-11-01T17:37:00.003-08:00

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October Album

2009-11-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

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Settling In

2009-10-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

After six weeks, I think we are finally settling in and getting a hang of this whole parent thing. And if anything it is a hilarious adventure so far. Of course we have those moments of complete frustration and exhaustion, but just when we think we are at our limits something happens and we can't help but smile or laugh.

A few nights ago Noah was exceptionally fussy. We decided to give him a bath to calm him down before bed time. I started to get everything ready while Chris undressed Noah. Chris was ready before I was and I asked him to wait a minute. So Chris sits down on the couch with Noah cuddled against his chest. All of a sudden I hear "Whoa!" and look over to see Chris holding out one of his hands with poop on it. Naturally I started laughing and quickly led the boys back into Noah's room. I got Noah on the changing table and started to clean him as Chris went to change his shirt. Chris came back in and stood at the foot of the changing table just in time for Noah to start peeing on him. The sound Chris made was the funniest thing I have ever heard! Noah even gave Chris a sweet smile! We were laughing so hard and so long the bath water got cold.

Oooh! Chris just reminded me of Noah's incredible aim. The other morning Noah woke up really early and Chris got up to change his diaper before I woke up. Chris laid Noah on the bed with a changing pad underneath and unwrapped the diaper. Just as the diaper was coming off, Noah sent an extremely powerful stream of pee in the air and actually got Chris in the eye as he was turning to grab a wipe! All I heard was "You got me right in the eye!" I was fast asleep before this, but I was laughing so hard I was wide awake and still giggling about it an hour later.

I have many more stories like these, but you get the idea. You may wonder why both of these include Chris getting the dirty end of the deal. Yes, I have been peed on, but I happen to be married to the most amazing man! Chris always changes Noah's diaper. I think I change Noah's diaper two or three times a day versus the ten times a day Chris is at the changing table.

The other day I decided spur of the moment to go to the store. I was thinking it was the perfect time. Noah had just eaten an hour before and it was about time for a nap (which he loves to do in the car). I jumped in the shower and then began packing up everything I needed. It use to be a purse, but now it is a diaper bad, a purse, a car seat, and a baby. Then I started the "leaving the house" routine we go through because of the dogs. By the time I was ready to go an hour had past and Noah was ready to eat again. I am getting annoyed. Finally with Noah fed and everything ready I proceed to get us in the car and head out on 101 toward the Grade. I get to the last exit before the Grade when I realize I forgot my purse. I head back home frustrated and am even more frustrated when I get my purse from the counter and realize my wallet was in the car the whole time! So I head back out and have to make a U turn on the last turn out on the Grade because I forgot to grab the stuff I was planning on returning (the whole reason I was going in the first place!). It had taken me two hours to leave my house! I was fuming as I pulled into the parking lot of the store. While Noah and I are walking through the parking lot I noticed people looking at us. I just thought they must be looking at the baby. Nope...I happen to look down at my shirt...I had baby spit up all down the front of my shirt! All I could do was laugh.

I don't know any baby songs. None. A few weeks ago Noah was up in the middle of the night and he was weepy. I changed his diaper, fed him, and cuddled him, but nothing was helping to sooth him. It was then that I realized I didn't know any baby songs. So what do I do? I start singing the songs I do know all the words to...multiplication songs! I definitely got a coo from Noah while singing "Rockin' Around the 4s." He also likes the 7s song complete with the Chicken Dance moves. I had to bust that one out in the line at the grocery store yesterday. I tried singing it under my breath, but Noah wasn't buying it so I did a full on show with the Friday afternoon college crowd watching. I also find that belting out a little Janis Joplin or Beatles (especially "Yellow Submarine") work really well. Whodda thunk I would be doing this a year ago??????

Hilary recommended a book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block," and we follow the tips and tricks suggested. It really works! The only thing we struggle with is the "Shhhhhh." Maybe we are not loud enough? Whatever the reason it just doesn't do anything for Noah. A week ago, during the ridiculous 100 degree weather, Noah would not sleep. He wasn't crying...just not sleeping. We were getting a little worried. Babies need sleep. Swaddling him was just cruel when it was 85 degrees in the house and holding him just made him hotter. I know I can put him in the bassinet in our room and go to sleep and he will be okay lying there awake, but I was too worried to do it. At 2 in the morning I was past exhaustion when I thought about how the floors really needed to be vacuumed. And then I remembered the book and how it says that in the womb babies hear a noise about as loud as a vacuum. I jumped out of bed, put Noah in his bouncy chair and started vacuuming. With in minutes Noah was asleep. I moved him from room to room while I vacuumed and he remained asleep. When I finally got to his room I put him in his crib and left the vacuum on for a few extra minutes. It was amazing! Now when it is hot in the afternoons I pull out the vacuum to help Noah fall asleep for his naps.

Up to this point we have had very few stressful moments. Noah is a pretty calm little man and typically finds comfort in just seeing us rather than needing constant holding. He is content to sit in his bouncy chair or swing while we play with him. Noah loves walks and will just sit in his bucket seat looking around for hours. I think my favorite time with Noah is late at night before bed. He smells so clean from his bath and he is so relaxed. He will play with us or just snuggle. Sometimes I read to him in the glider and he falls asleep cuddled in my arms.

Getting to know Noah is such a joy! I never realized how insecure having my own child would make me feel. Every time we conquer a new parent experience we feel so good...I think we should get badges like the Boy Scouts.

Next mountain to climb...the dogs. They have had some limited interaction, but we really want to start bringing our complete family together. Wish us luck!

Oh Boy One Month

2009-10-15T03:09:00.000-07:00

I can not believe it has been one month! This little album has a picture for almost every day of Noah's life so far.

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Sigh!

2009-10-09T00:56:00.001-07:00

Just packed up all my maternity clothes. Though I was not a fan of being pregnant, packing everything up was a little sad. I am so happy to be able to get out of bed without having to roll back and forth to get momentum and I am really enjoying the ability to put socks on again. I just can not believe how fast the last 9 months went by. What a weird nostalgia! It reminds me of a quote from the movie "Hope Floats."

"She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most."

The quote is more about childhood experiences, but I always think of it when I am about to start on a new path. Finding out I was pregnant was very scary and packing everything up in the end is a little sad, but the whole middle part about growing such an amazing little being is what counts the most.

And before I even closed the pregnancy chapter in my life I was off to a new beginning as a new mom (and yes, it is scary at times). It is amazing how life is like that! Cheers to making the middle count!

Noah David

2009-10-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

So it is three weeks since Noah was born. We are so in love with our little boy. I think half our exhaustion is from not wanting to miss a moment of his life rather than him keeping us up. Every little face, squeak, and grunt is so exciting for us.

Since I have been out of it for the past few weeks I want to give a little back information on Noah’s arrival. After virtually no sleep the night before, we woke up at about 5 AM on September 15th with anxious hearts. I remember getting ready to go (brushing my teeth and hair) and thinking this is the last time I do this as not-a-mom. Chris and I walked across the street to the hospital holding hands and our breath. I got really nervous when we got to the front doors. Once we were inside, things seemed to go so fast that I think we only waited about an hour before I was brought in for surgery.

Looking back, the worst part of the surgery was getting the IV. That was terrifying for me! The spinal anesthesia was the most bizarre feeling I have ever experienced. I didn’t realize how fast I would loose feeling in my lower half. Chris sat next to my head the whole time and when the doctor said Noah was about to be delivered, Chris stood up to take a picture and promptly sat back down. He said he would rather take pictures after (I think it freaked him out a little…don’t blame him!). Though I could not feel any pain, I was aware of the second Noah was born. I can not describe the physical relief of not having all that weight pushing on every organ. I actually took my first deep breath in months and thanked the doctor!

Noah was born at 8:22 AM. He was 8 pounds, 15 ounces and 20 inches long. His APGAR score was a nine. I didn’t cry when he was born, but my heart skipped a beat when I heard his first cry. It was so strange. I spent nine months growing a living being and it just never seemed as real as it did when I heard Noah. With one little cry my heart melted and I knew that no matter what, I would drop everything I am doing to answer his cry.

Once Noah was out and all the immediate delivery care was administered, Chris and I were able to look at him and give him a kiss. We knew going into the C-section that Noah would need to go to the NICU for an hour or two of observation. Babies of diabetic moms need to have their blood sugars monitored immediately after delivery. We also knew that I would have to go to recovery for an hour or two before I would be brought to a room to be with Noah. I was prepared for this. I was really sad about the time I could not be with Noah, but knew that it was best for him.

However, I was not aware that there was a possibility that Noah would need to be in the NICU for a few days or that my time in recovery would be longer. When I was brought to the recovery room I was a little groggy, but I remember looking around and seeing a clock and thinking that I could be patient to see Noah if I could keep track of time. I watched the clock hand for an hour and when the nurse came by to test my blood sugars I thought I would be allowed to go to a room…nope. Then another hour went by and they allowed Chris to come see me for a few minutes and I thought for sure I would see Noah…nope. Finally after three hours they brought me up to a room.

As I was lying on the bed outside the room I remember hearing a baby crying and thinking that I was finally going to be able to hold Noah. As they rolled me into the room I saw it was a shared room and that Noah was not there. I was hearing my roommate’s baby crying. Chris came into the room shortly after and said that Noah was doing fine and that he would be in the NICU for a little longer. I was starting to panic, but figured that everything had to be “O.K.” I remember asking the nurse a couple of times about Noah and being told that it shouldn’t be too much longer. Then a doctor came in and told Chris and I that Noah would be staying the NICU. His body was not regulating his blood sugars and he was not feeding well.

Listening to the doctor talk and hearing my roommate’s baby cry was devastating. I think I felt every negative emotion possible all at once. I felt crushed…only really sick babies stay in the NICU and the doctor didn’t give us much information.

My hands were shaking when I first really saw Noah. He was in one of those scary NICU beds and had an IV in his head and wires all over him. I was so scared. I just couldn’t understand what was going on and no one really gave us anything to process and understand. We were only allowed to see him for twenty minutes. I remember touching his little belly and thinking how much I just wanted to hold him. I carried him with me 24/7 for nine months and to not be with him was incredibly hard.

It seemed like every time we went to see Noah in the first two days there was something wrong. They would not let us hold him and they started feeding him through a tube in his mouth. We would visit him in the morning and his sugars would be great and then by noon they would be too low.

It was really depressing and frustrating. My selfishness started to come up. I was really feeling cheated out of all the new mom experiences. I wasn’t able to hold my baby when he was born, I couldn’t have him in the room, I wasn’t able to sooth him when he cried, and I wasn’t able to nurse. Take all the hormones and mix them up with a scary situation and I think I cried for half of the second day.

Finally, after some pushing by us, family, and nurses, a doctor came to tell us what was going on and what the plan was for Noah. We were allowed to hold Noah and even try feeding him. It was so awkward with all the wires, but holding Noah felt so right. I got a little teary when I saw Chris hold Noah for the first time…my two boys. It was too sweet!

For the last few days of his stay, Noah was cared for by an amazing nurse. Trish made the second half of our experience so much easier to handle. She talked us through everything that was going on and kept us company for our longer visits. She even let us start changing his diaper and clothes (yep I was even missing the diaper experience).

Noah was finally able to come home on September 20th. When we got the call to get him we were so excited. It was an amazing experience to be able to pick him up without wires or a nurse handing him to us! I don’t think there were two happier people on the planet during the time it took for us to walk Noah across the street and into his home.

Well, it is late and though I have a lot more to share about our new life with Noah, I am going to have to share it later. Noah is calling.

Birth Announcement

2009-09-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

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Testing New Software

2009-09-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

Just playing around with Smilebox~ I am hoping we can use this for all the pictures we will be taking.

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A Lot to Update

2009-09-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on lately! I meant to update this a week ago, but by the time I had time our modem decided to fizz out on us.

Our boy is 38 weeks today. At 36 weeks I had to go in for an unplanned ultrasound. The non-stress test was picking up arrhythmia and just to be safe I was sent in for a closer look. The baby's heart proved to be in excellent condition. The doctor spent almost an hour viewing his heart, tracking blood flow, and listening for irregularities. Whew! What a relief! At the same time, she did some measurements and what she had to say about our boy's size was a little overwhelming. According to the doctor's measurements the baby's abdomen was 41 weeks in size and his femur was at 40 weeks with an estimated weight of 8 pounds...at 36 weeks! That is one fat baby!!!! The doctor recommended a delivery for the next week (which was last week).

Three days later I went to my regular doctor and he looked over the same results. While he agreed with the baby being rather large, he disagreed with an early delivery. He felt that the baby's health and development was better served if he was allowed to "cook" a little longer, but that a natural delivery would have too many risks for the baby and myself. So we scheduled a C-section for the 15th.

The 15th is just days away now. In some ways it is nice knowing what will happen. At the same time, it was a little easier sleeping at night knowing that our baby was going to be born sometime in the future. Ever since we have had a due date I wake up several times a night just thinking about it and each morning I do a little count down.

So please send us some positive energy in what ever form you choose on September 15th!

Here are a few other "things" to share that I wasn't able to keep up with over the past two weeks...

Getting Pulled Over:
A few weeks ago I got in the car toward twilight to head to the grocery store. I pulled out of the driveway and headed about 30 yards down the street before I realized I had not turned on my head lights. The second I turned them on I saw a car zoom up behind me and police lights started flashing. I pulled over and rolled down the window. As the officer was walking toward the window I started laughing and said "Would you believe me if I told you I have placenta brain?" The officer started laughing and said "Yep!" He didn't even ask for my driver's license or anything. He just wanted to make sure I was O.K. to drive then sent me on my way. I can not believe I drove without my lights! I am the most obsessive driver about things like that! That officer was really nice and I feel really guilty. I would have taken the ticket...I was really dumb!

My Giant Belly:

I am sure every woman feels like she has the biggest belly toward the end of her pregnancy. Here is a picture of mine...

This baby looks and feels huge! We went to a restaurant the other day and the woman that helped us actually asked me if there were two babies in there!

Also the transformation of my feet from abnormally large feet for a woman (size 11) to Shrek feet has been interesting. My feet are so swollen and full of water that I feel like I have ziploc bags full of water taped to the top of them. I can barely get my men's size 11 flipflops on my feet.

The Nursery:
Is it possible to buy anything for a baby that does not require assembly? Even the baby bath requires a screwdriver. I would not be surprised if stores started selling baby clothes with directions on how to attach seams. Unbelievable. Do the people that design the baby things realize that extremely hormonal and impatient women are trying to put things together?!?

No thanks to me, Chris and Mo did an amazing job of completing the baby's room. All the furniture is put together and the room looks beautiful. The theme is Classic Pooh. Surprise, Surprise! It is so adorable! Mo painted a mural on one wall and added some Pooh friend prints to the closet. The room is so cozy that Chris and I spent the other night just hanging out in there.

Here are some pictures...

Making Plans...AHHHHHHHHH!

2009-08-25T21:02:00.001-07:00

We have made it! 36 weeks! On Monday the doctor gave us an A+ on health. He has me scheduled for two ultrasounds over the next two weeks. We may have to plan a delivery, but at this point I am not going to complain!

Chris has been working his tush off to get the baby's room ready. He completely removed a window and replaced it on another wall so that baby Frago doesn't have an early initiation to college life. (The old window opened up onto the college student neighbor's driveway and back deck.) He is almost ready to paint! Once that is done we are going to set up all the furniture and put away all the amazing gifts we have received. I am getting so excited!

So now that we are here I realize it is time to start planning a little more. Who are we going to call. Who are we going to email. Make a birth plan. What is going to get packed. And on and on. How is it that we have know this was coming for 8 months, but all of a sudden it feels like everything is crashing down upon us?

Everything has been pretty easy to make decisions on except the birth plan. I have never heard of a birth plan so I was a little surprised when it was mentioned at one of our classes, at the doctors, and when talking with friends. Chris and I were a little curious so we decided to look up some sample birth plans online. Woweee! There is so much detail to cover and I can not imagine even half of the "things" mentioned being met. I mean, I like planning and I love when I can control my little world, but having a baby falls under my category of "What will happen, will happen."

So we started to fill out a template we found online and quickly realized we were spending more time looking up all the medical terms than actually filling anything out. We are now well informed...so that is a definite plus...but a little discouraged. I typically have no problem putting my two cents in (especially with medical situations), but I just don't feel comfortable making what seems to me like "demands." In the end, we talked about what we want for our baby's birth and decided to make up our own birth plan. It is below. I am going to give it to our doctor next week. I will let you know his reaction. I hope he sees the humor in it. He is not the most expressive man. I think we have seen him smile once over the past 8 months!

****************************************************

Frago Birth Plan

Heidi and Christopher Frago

We are anxiously and excitedly expecting our first baby. Rather than setting strict (and probably unrealistic) expectations for the birth of our baby, we thought it may be helpful to give you a little background about what it may be like working with us. Please laugh…we had fun writing this.

HEIDI:
Gestational diabetes – 16 units of insulin once with bed time snack

I (Heidi) am terrified…excited, but terrified. I am usually flexible and rational (especially on days that don’t end in “y”). This has been a really easy pregnancy up until the 30th week. I have been running on very little sleep since then and my hormones are out of control. From my perspective I am calm and in control. From my husband’s perspective my horns are knocking my halo askew and I am a little scary. I am afraid of the pain I will be experiencing (I am a teacher and unfortunately for the past 8 months I have had to hear some pretty horrifying stories). Since the 30th week I have used breathing and walking around to manage pain. I plan on doing this as long as possible during labor, but I would like an epidural when you decide the timing is right (I will do my best not to beg before then). I will do everything within my power to be on my best behavior and want to apologize and thank you ahead of time.

CHRIS:

Chris is so excited about our baby and he is only terrified about how I am going to behave. Chris is about the nicest, most laid back person on this planet. He loves to be useful and is always willing to listen to suggestions (but reserves the right to play deaf…especially when suggestions come from me). He can be depended upon to be the rational side of our little team.

Chris is deaf/hard of hearing. Please be sure to include him in discussions by making eye contact and leaving your mouth uncovered. If you don’t, you will end up with a lot of “smile and nod” responses...these can lead to hysterical moments, but they are not very productive. He is an excellent lip reader and signing is not necessary. Talking louder and slower is funny for us to watch, but we assure you it will not make him any less deaf.

THE PLAN:

We have very little detail for our birth plan. We trust you. We just ask that you keep us informed and allow us to participate in decision making when possible. We appreciate your experience and dedication to providing our baby with the best care possible. Thank you…really thank you!

*Please give me an epidural!

*During the delivery I would like my husband and my mom (Ann Howland) to be present. If my mom is not available I would like my sister (Callie Howland) in the room.

*I plan on breast feeding our baby.

*We would like the baby to remain with us as much as possible.

*If possible we would like Dr. H. to perform circumcision in the hospital.

Preggo Frago Update

2009-08-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

There is so much to share I am not even sure where to start. How about with Ziggy? He is doing great! He moves constantly and is big enough for us to actually watch when he adjusts himself. At first it was a little scary to see...my abdomen ends up lopsided and undulates. I always thought that pregnant bellies were nice little round things.

If you are wondering about the name Ziggy, it is a nickname my mom gave our boy before we knew his sex and had a name picked out. She even found a Ziggy Marley family/children's CD that I listen to for the baby. He likes reggae! Any time I play the song called "Ziggy Says," the baby starts moving around a lot more.

Unfortunately I have gestational diabetes. I went in for the first test and my blood sugar was so high that they didn't even have me go for the extended test. I wasn't surprised because my mom had GD with both my sisters, but I was really scared with the idea of stabbing myself with sharp objects. I am on a diet that is pretty much the same as I was already eating, but instead of actually eating when I am hungry, I have to eat six times a day. I miss the sensation of being hungry. I feel full all the time and it is a little frustrating to have to wake myself up just to eat sometimes. My only craving that I am not allowed to satisfy to my liking is fruit. I normally eat a lot of fruit (to make up for the lack of veggies), but I have to really limit my daily intake. I have to test my blood sugar four times a day and give myself an insulin shot every night. It has not been fun.

On a positive note, I have been doing really well on the regiment and my blood sugars are almost always right where they need to be. Initially I lost about 10 pounds, but this past week we were able to celebrate a 1 pound gain. I had to eat a lot of peanut butter and guacamole to gain that pound, but it was worth it.

I have had a few scary moments over the past few weeks. I have started having contractions (not Braxton Hicks). I have to go in to the doctor's office twice a week for monitoring and a get a pre-term test. The contractions are not productive now and my last test came back negative for pre-term labor. Last Thursday, I had two really strong contractions while hooked up and the nurse monitoring the machine was really surprised by the intensity and how close they were. I am up most nights, all night walking off the pain. I can not even begin to describe how much they hurt. I am just afraid that when it is time I am not going to know because I am going to think it is the same old thing I have been experiencing. I have been told to rest and stop moving around like I usually do, but lying down actually makes the contraction pain worse.

I think the worst thing about pregnancy is the doctors. It seems like every time I go in there is something new to worry about and they all contradict each other on what I should or shouldn't be doing. One doctor is concerned about losing weight and another says I don't need to gain any. One doctor says to stick to bed rest and the other says to keep up with being active. It is frustrating and makes me feel like I can't even be a good incubator.

Adjusting to this body has been a challenge. I never really thought that having a pregnant body would be that much different than a non-one...I was wrong. Every time I do dishes I end up with a soaking wet shirt! I have to hunch over the sink just to wash my hands. I miss having a lap for the cats to cuddle on. My sister Callie was here a few days ago and she was examining my belly. She pointed to my stretched out belly button and actually asked me what it was! Trying to get out of bed is a process and I have even had to have Chris get up to help me get up. I think the funniest thing is my new need to grunt anytime I have to move or change positions. Every little thing just feels like it requires more energy than it used to.

I am not a very good pregnant woman. It makes me feel a little guilty when I think about how many women have told me how much they enjoyed and miss pregnancy. I don't know how I will feel after the baby is born, but I can tell you that today I can not wait to have the baby and not be pregnant any more.

We are at 35 weeks! We are in the final stretch...or at least my abdomen is! It can't possibly stretch anymore...can it???????

Owen

2009-08-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Our handsome boy, Owen Seymour passed away on Friday. He was ten years old (3-17-00 to 8-14-09) and gave us ten amazing years of his life. I wasn't sure if I was going to post about this, but then decided that Owen was a big part of our lives and deserves to be remembered "out loud." We are so incredibly sad right now. I thought waiting a day or two to write would make it easier, but just thinking about what I want to say about Owen makes me tear up.

Owen was such a special cat. He had such personality that when we met him we had no choice but to bring him home with us. Owen definitely chose us. We had no intention of getting a cat, but he was just irresistible and would not leave Chris alone at Woods. The reason he was at Woods was because he didn't get along with other animals...he spent ten years proving that to be absolutely inaccurate.

At eight months old, Owen was about 12 pounds (at his biggest he was about 20 pounds). He had the most beautiful alley cat markings with perfect bull's eyes on each side, a pumpkin colored nose, and really cool orange lines around his eyes.

When we took Owen home, he popped out of the carrying case and jumped in the back of the truck to curl up with Audrey (our large black lab). We are pretty sure that Owen saw himself as a cross between a dog and a lion. He had such a big personality and no fear. We have had so many animals join our family and/or foster with us over the years and he was always welcoming and willing to clean an ear or two.

Owen was our daredevil. He had so many scrapes and holes in him through out his life. When we lived in Los Osos we had to take him to the vet to be sewed up three times in two months. He kept coming home with giant holes in his legs. About three years ago Owen became extremely sick and we almost lost him. He came through his illness a little older, but with the same big personality he always had. Chris and I were talking about how much we invested just to lose Owen a few years later and in the end we decided we would do it all over again. In the past three years Owen has had a great life in our "new" home (he got sick right when we were moving). He had a huge playground complete with a creek and a jungle to explore. He had his very own shady bridge over water to nap on and an endless source of college student neighbors to flirt with. We are happy that we were able to give that to him.

Chris and I have spent the last two and a half days just remembering all kinds of things about Owen. One of my favorite memories of Owen is when we lived on the Mesa. Owen would sit in our driveway in the afternoons right next to a large bush. One day I was looking out the window and watched an older man walking a large chow mix and a lab. Out of nowhere Owen came flying out of the bush and wrapped his arms around the big chow. I went running out to see if the man was okay (he was totally freaked out) and by the time I got there, the dog was petrified and Owen was walking between the dog's legs and purring. The older man and I had a really good laugh. He had never seen a cat do that before and the fact that Owen stuck around to give the poor dog love afterwards was hysterical.

Chris' fondest memories are of their walks. Owen would follow us, and especially Chris, everywhere. When we would take the dogs for walks, Owen would walk along with us as if he were a dog. Sometimes Owen would run ahead and scout out the terrain and sometimes he would fall behind and pop up out of nowhere down the block. When we would go out looking for the other cats, Owen would tag along and greet the others as they came out of their hiding spots. Right after we were married we lived about a block away from a gas station and Chris would walk over there to get ice cream and soda pop and Owen would walk with Chris and wait at the door for Chris to come out for their walk back. It was like something out of a Disney movie.

I know all our other kids are going to miss Owen. We have so many great pictures, videos, and memories of them together. Owen loved cuddling with the dogs, cleaning the dogs and was always willing to jump in on a wrestling match. Chris just mentioned Maggie's violent cleaning of Owen. She would get into it and poor Owen would tolerate being slobbered on and in a twisted way we knew he enjoyed it. He really was one of a kind.

In ten years we have so many funny and endearing stories about Owen. He really was a big part of our lives. You would think that with all our animals we wouldn't have a lot of bonding time with them, but we do. Every one of our four legged kids has their rituals with each of us. It has been hard for us to get used to not going through our routine with Owen. I think the hardest for both Chris and I is Owen greeting us in the driveway. No matter where he was, when we pulled into the driveway, Owen would come running to the car just to get a little pat on the head before taking off on his next adventure. I have found myself spending a couple of extra minutes at the kitchen window when doing dishes just looking out at the hospital parking lot expecting to see him running around. It is strange not being woken up in the morning by Owen trampling all over us before he got comfortable. Every time we let the dogs out the back we catch ourselves looking for him in his favorite napping spots or waiting for him to slip through the only fence posts he could get through. I keep expecting to see him sprawled across the back of the leather chair with one leg hanging down and his tail lazily swishing. I am going to miss hearing Chris ask me if I have "...seen my boy today." Ohh there are so many things... and it is so heart wrenching to think that we are not going to have them again with Owen on Earth. He was so loved and we felt so loved by him.

As I write this I remembered a conversation I had with a few students during break a few months ago. A student asked me something and I said that I didn't know the answer, but that it was on my list of ten questions to ask God when I finally sit down to dine with him. Another student asked what other questions I wanted to ask and I told them my number one question was if animals go to heaven (surprise, surprise). A few of the students mentioned that they were studying that very question in bible study and they brought up the ideas presented in their books and discussions. I love the fact that they are studying that!

I know the question of God's plan for animals in Heaven is different from individual to individual so please know that I am not telling you how it is, only my view and personal understanding of the Bible.

"This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head." Ephesians 1:10

I do believe that we will be reunited with all of our loved ones...including our animals. We all belong to God and we are all a part of His plan. When it is my time, I will not be surprised if I see Owen waiting at the gates to greet us the same way he always did here on Earth in our driveway.

Owen will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts.

Slower Pace

2009-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today is the end of the second week of summer. I am definitely enjoying the slower pace, but still work everyday. Right now I am working with some students on math and in a week I will be adding summer camp (teaching science) to my schedule. Aside from work, all I seem to do is "rest"... I get tired really fast. I have become like Chris. I can not sit for more than ten minutes without dozing (I have even managed to do this sitting upright!).

Overall sleep is a strange thing for me right now. The baby is getting big so he does not have much room to move around when I am standing up. Anytime I lie down, he begins to bounce around. Going to bed at night usually means about three hours of being kept awake before he settles down. I am not a regular T.V. person, but I can probably give you the T.V. Guide listing of all the mystery drama shows on after midnight. I think I am getting addicted to Cold Case.

I am really starting to enjoy my afternoon naps. Mac and I get cuddled up on the couch and read/nap for about 2 hours. Mac likes to put his head right on the top of my belly and the baby starts kicking or moving. The first time the baby did this, Mac had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Mac put his big head down and instantly the baby kicked outward and Mac lifted and cocked his head sideways with ears perked up. He stared at my belly for a minute before deciding it was safe to put his head back down. The baby then kicked him again and Mac tilted his head and looked at my belly from the corner of his eye. With the funniest sounding grunt I have ever heard, Mac put his head back down and puffed out his jowls. Now Mac just deals with the love taps from the baby and just lazily opens his eyes when he gets a really sharp kick in the chin.

What's up

2009-06-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

School is almost out! I can not believe this year went by so fast. The end of this year is especially significant for me in so many ways. First is that I have my first real "graduating" class. Students I have worked with and grown with for all three years of their middle school. I was reminiscing on our first year together and I can still see all the students as they were when we first met. They have grown up in looks; most of them are my height or taller! They just look older and I look at their younger siblings and can see how they were on the first day of school. They have grown into mature citizens and in a lot of ways they are so much more aware of the world around them than most adults. I am so excited for them and yet so sad to see them go!

Next is the baby. Chris and I were laughing about the timing of having a baby. At the end of my first year teaching at SLO Classical Academy I had a parent say that I was not allowed to leave until their student finished middle school. Talk about perfect timing. However I am not leaving permanently. I am planning a short break for the baby and then I will head back to teaching. Of course economy plays a big part in returning to work after a short break, but in the end I love teaching and I am not very good at not working. (It usually takes about two weeks into summer break before Chris starts asking when school starts again...apparently my inability to be idle drives him nuts.)

Along with that is the unknown of what being a teacher will look like for me for the rest of my life. I am a planner (I love lists!) and facing an unknown is a little frightening for me right now. I should probably leave this topic alone for now...it makes my heart race just thinking about it.

*************

Well, the baby is definitely up...all the time. He moves so much! It is a little creepy. It almost feels like I have a small kitten running around in there. I can not describe how exciting it was the first time both Chris and I could feel him moving around in there. I began feeling flutters at about 16 weeks, but the 21st week was the first time he truly kicked outward. Last week (week 23) we could actually feel him adjust his whole body and watched the bump move. I am choosing to believe it was his head we saw, but AnnE pointed out that it very well could have been his bum.

The other night Chris and I had an interesting conversation about how amazing life is. We were talking about how this child started from a few cells and each of those cells knew exactly what they were suppose to form. Chris was talking about how the heart forms and was wondering exactly when that little heart decided to take its first beat. What an awesome Plan and Design! Our conversation reminded me of a website with short video a student (Sage) sent me a few years ago..."The Watchmaker."

Wishing you a Wonder-filled Day! (Hehehehehe...the Happy Scientist says that!)

Oh BOY!

2009-05-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well...I definitely did not keep up with posting. I promise I will get better. As the end of school nears and my level of energy goes down I find it hard to spend any more time than the absolute necessary in front of the computer.

So now I can finally blog about the newest Frago. I appreciate all of you that did not mention anything about it online. We just wanted to make sure we had a chance to tell family and friends in-person before we posted it.

Today I am 21 weeks along and it shows! I can not believe we are half way to the finish line. When we first suspected, I made Chris go to the store and double and triple and quadruple check. I just could not believe it. It didn't even seem real after going to the doctor. I seems like just yesterday it was January and I was chatting with Coby at 9 at night asking if this was for real. She made me laugh so hard in my moment of pure panic. Thanks Coby!

I am embarrassed to say that my joy was overshadowed by the immediate mourning for my selfish lifestyle. Looking back I have my mom to thank for that...in a good way! When I tried to think of myself as a mom, I kept thinking about my mom. She has so selflessly raised my sisters and I. Is there anything on this planet she has not sacrificed or has been willing to sacrifice for us? How many times has she done something we wanted rather than what she wanted? How many dinners has she made to satisfy our appetites rather than hers? When is the last time my mom got a good night sleep free of worrying about how we are doing or what our futures will look like? When is the last time the woman was allowed to use the bathroom without one of us absolutely needing to talk to her at that exact moment? Probably 30 years since I caught myself doing it to her over Easter! And that is just the "tip of the iceberg" of all the things she has done and still does... Can you be any more amazing Mom?

So no wonder I was in mourning. Aside from a job, everything I do is on my time. I eat dinner when I feel like it. I wake up when I want (as long as it is okay with the four legged kids to sleep in). Curl up in bed any time (the kids are always up for that). I can spend hours reading if I feel like it. If I just don't have time to clean the house then, oh well! it can wait. Basically the world has been revolving around planet Heidi and all of a sudden it has come to a screeching halt.

However, I am over the mourning. I am excited about this new adventure. And absolutely terrified. The things I think about are hysterical. The night before our recent ultrasound I had the strangest dream. There was a little toddler boy sitting on the couch and a ton of little kid shoes lined up on the coffee table. I would grab a pair of shoes from the table and put them on his little feet. I would then turn around to the table to put away the shoes and turn back to the little boy to find that the shoes were Chris's size and dangling off his feet. This happened over and over again. What a weird dream! Anyway, Chris took this as a sign that we were going to have a boy...

And he was right. The next day we were at the doctor's office. I always thought there would be a great pause and then the doctor would reveal the sex of the baby. Nope! Our doctor put the ultrasound "thingy" on my belly and said "Okay, well we have a femur, a foot, a scrotum, a..." and he just kept going! The really sad thing is that I was trying to remember the names of the bones in the foot before I realized that scrotum had nothing to do with the foot!

Chris didn't believe the doctor. Our baby was lying sideways in an awkward position so none of the pictures were very clear. Eventually the doctor did a rear end picture of the baby with his tush pointing up and Chris was convinced. I am definitely saving that picture for our collection of "completely embarrassing pictures to pull out in front of our son's friends."

Our son! Wow. This just keeps getting more and more real.

I have more to tell and will do my best to post more often.

Here are pictures from the 11 week ultra-sound. I am having trouble getting the newest ultrasound pictures to scan. I will get them up as soon as I can.

Frago Family Beginnings

2009-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Chris and I have been together for almost 10 years and married for 7. Chris sort of inherited the family of four legged kids that I had already started in college. I can't help it; I fall in love with pathetic furry things. When Chris and I met I had already had Audrey Ann (a beautiful black lab mix). When I met Audrey at the shelter, she had a bloody swollen nub of a tail and a horrible infection where they had spayed her. She needed love and I was more than willing to oblige.

Shortly after dating I took Chris to one of my favorite places on Earth...Woods Humane Society. While there we ran into an extremely confident, bossy, and large (15 pounds) cat that was about 9 months old. This cat would not stop following Chris and every time Chris went to pet another cat, this huge cat would get right in Chris' face. I instantly knew that this cat was meant to be; so he joined our family as Owen Seymour. On the way home in the truck Owen was going crazy in the travel box so I decided to let him out in the cab to see what would happen with Audrey. It was love at first sight! Owen instantly jumped to the back seat and curled up with her.

Get it...Audrey and Seymour...from Little Shop of Horrors. You can blame my parents for that. They are the ones that took me to musicals and made me watch them. LSH is definitely my favorite musical comedy. It is sick and twisted, but hysterical too!

Anyway...Then came along Sara Bean, the most ornery cat you could possibly imagine. One of my roommates was moving and I couldn't bear the thought of her having to go to a shelter (she probably would have never been adopted).

After two years or so of being married, I asked in my sticky-sweet wife voice if Chris wouldn't mind going to the store to buy some Flea/Tick meds for the three kids. He did, but not at the usual petmart type place. Noooo, he had to go to an actual pet store where they have puppies for sale. There he saw three boxer puppies; two large males and one pathetic looking female. Of course Chris came home (without the meds!) and made me go back to the store. He even made me hold her...big mistake. Maggie May made it back to our place that night. She is the only store animal I have ever owned, but my guilt didn't last very long when we discovered the poor care at the store left her with mange and a bladder infection. If Audrey is the queen that demands respect in our house, Maggie is definitely the pampered princess.

A few years later, I was substitute teaching in one of the classes I was a student teacher in. When it came time for free writing and sharing, a student named Grace stood up and read in a tearful voice about how her dad was making her get rid of a stray cat that had sort of adopted them. I made the mistake of saying how sorry I was for her and that I wish there was something I could do to help. By the time I got home, her mom, my teaching partner had called and left a message saying that I could stop by anytime to meet the cat. WHAT???? We had no intention of taking another cat, but Chris was game for humoring a first grader so we went to meet the cat. Once again, this cat was immediately drawn to Chris. She was rolling on her back and purring like a semi. She came home with us and was officially named Jasmine Kay.

After Jasmine, we both said no more. Yeah right...One of us is always the strong one, but never at the same time. One year I was teaching summer school and another teacher mentioned that she worked with the Feline Network. I said I would be interested in hearing ways that I could help. Never did I imagine that she would tell me that taking on three cats would be the help she needed. I was thinking...fliers, fostering, or maybe even going out and filling up feeding stations...just not more cats.

***Did I mention that on our first date, a cat was running around the creek downtown and Chris pretended to shoot it and said "I hate cats!"? At this I was pretty sure we were not going to have a future beyond dating. Then I saw him with Owen and it changed when he started referring to Owen as "That's my boy!" You may be thinking that guys will do anything stupid for love, but I assure you that Chris' feelings for me have nothing to do with the manly bond between him and that cat. Chris claims he loves the cat 'cause Owen thinks he's a dog, but if you happen to see Chris and Jasmine's nightly ritual you would know that is a lie.***

SO, we end up with three kittens that were too feral and old to adopt out. I was only able to convince Chris by assuring him that the three girls would be outdoor and pretty much wild. All we had to do was feed them. The thing that sealed the deal was that Chris picked their names...Veni, Vidi, and Vici. I Came, I Saw, I Conquered. Our three pumas happily prowl our creek and keep mice and other small furry populations down in our yard.

Then came Mac. See I was weak about the cats, but Chris gets all the blame for our 90 pound Lennie (Of Mice and Men). Chris worked with a woman who did boxer rescue. She knew about his love of the breed and sent him a picture of "Zeus." He was an AKC, 18 month old male with an owner that didn't want him for several reasons. I said no and Chris had to bring up the whole humor me thing I did with him about Jasmine. So we went and met "Zeus." Oh, he was about the most gorgeous male boxer with the best disposition. The owner was getting rid of him because "Zeus" was being beaten up by the female and constantly escaping the incredibly small town house cemented patio (I would be running away too!). Chris was on the verge of "We'll take him," when the owner said he wanted $250. We said no way, we were their for a rescue purpose and that by taking him we were assuming his life long expenses and we were not going to pay for a dog. I said good luck and gave him our number just in case things didn't work out. About a month and a half later we had Mac George cruising home with us in the truck. The first few days of having Mac at home with us was interesting. He had never been inside a house before and we had to coax him back inside every time we let him out. That only lasted a few days and he quickly learned the comforts of being inside and having a bed to sleep on.

You would think that would be the end of us growing our family. We had three dogs and six cats. It was for awhile. Occasionally we had foster animals, but we were really good about saying no to permanent additions. Then Coby and her family learned that they were moving to China. They had three amazing family dogs that could not go with them. I would do anything for Coby so I said I would help with their dogs. So we ended up welcoming two more furry kids to the house. Yep that means five dogs. Kamali, another female boxer, is with us on a temporary basis. She will soon be living in Gilroy with Chris' parents. Cinco, a Jack Russell Terrier, is this mini-Mac that likes to boss the big dogs. He is whole new experience for us. We have never had a small dog and we have discovered how much fun it is to have a dog sit on your lap (that isn't over 60 pounds).

So today, we are a family of 2 two legs and 11 four legs. We really do have a wonderful family. We all get along most of the time and fights are usually followed by lots of kisses (or licks). We serve about 18 cups of food a day and fill the water bowls about five times a day. Our bed usually looks like a giant puppy pile with a cat or two on top and us somewhere buried below. If we want to sit in the living room we have to try and race the dogs to the couch. If we are too slow then we end up having to squeeze in somewhere. We have an endless source of entertainment and friends to love and be loved by.

Can Life get any better?

I submit it can not!

A Test

2009-03-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

I am just trying to figure this thing out. I can program in 7 languages, but this whole blogging thing on a template seems to be beyond me. The control freak in me wants to change the code to "my way". I'll get over it...promise.

Just wanted to warn you about my writing. It is horrible. I have no idea about grammar rules or syntax. And don't even get me started on my spelling. We eat trke on Thanksgiving just like the rest of you...and it tastes the same as yours no matter how I spell it! ;) It is a good thing I teach math and science else the future leaders of the World would be illiterate. I am not the best writer either. I write like Chris talks on the phone. I try to get to the point with the least amount of words. However, I will work on my written communication...a blog seems pointless for someone who doesn't like to write. Maybe I can get Chris to help with this project.

With love,

Heidi